Thurston County, WA

The key to achieving Thurston County’s goal of a more active community might be in its residents’ own backyard.

Located in northwest Washington, and including the state capital of Olympia, Thurston County features more than 50 miles of bike or pedestrian trails. Many of those trails run next to dense, low-income neighborhoods, but residents are not aware they’re there, because the trails are not accessible or clearly marked.

Thurston County, WA

The Active Design for a Healthier Thurston County initiative is helping by analyzing transit routes to identify opportunities for new, shorter connections, along with plans for better signage and trail improvements.

Progress already is being made through the “Bridging the Gap” project, which constructed biking and pedestrian bridges over highways, and connected different trails to form a continuous 22-mile section.